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Aphasia communication board: free printable

Aphasia makes it hard to find words, say them or understand them, often after a stroke. An aphasia communication board helps both people in a conversation: the person with aphasia can point to yes, no, a topic or a phrase like Give me time, and the partner gets ways to help. This free PDF has the board and a conversation partner page for writing key words, offering choices and checking times and numbers.

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Portrait (tall page, 2 pages): US Letter PDF (761 KB) · A4 PDF (761 KB)

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Printable aphasia communication board titled Help me talk. Yes, no and maybe. Help me talk: I know what I want to say, Give me time, Ask me yes or no questions, Write it down, Give me two choices, Say it again slowly, I can’t find the word, Let me point, You’ve got it, That’s not it, Let’s start again and It’s important. Let’s talk about: family, home, health, money, food, news, TV, music, weather, plans, church and garden. How much: not at all, a little, some, a lot and very much.
Page 1: phrases, topics and a how-much scale.

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Who it’s for

Adults with aphasia after a stroke or a head injury, and the people who talk with them: a husband or wife, grown-up children, friends, caregivers and nurses. The board starts from a simple idea, printed at the top: the person knows what they want to say; the words are what’s hard. The help-me-talk phrases tell the partner how to help, without the person having to explain it each time.

How to talk with the board

  1. Find a quiet spot. Turn the TV off. One conversation at a time.
  2. Say the topic first. Point to it on the board: “Let’s talk about plans. This weekend.”
  3. Use short sentences, one idea each. Speak at a normal volume. Aphasia isn’t a hearing problem.
  4. Write key words as you say them. On the partner page, in big letters: “Sunday”, “lunch”, “Anna”.
  5. Ask yes-or-no questions, or offer two choices. Write the choices in the Which one? boxes and let the person point.
  6. Check what you understood. “So you want Anna to come on Sunday?” Wait for yes or That’s not it.
Conversation partner page: lines for key words, three write-or-draw boxes for which one, pictures for yesterday, today, tomorrow, morning, afternoon, evening and night, a good-or-bad scale from very bad to very good, and the numbers 0 to 9.
Page 2: for the partner, to write, offer choices and check.

The help-me-talk phrases

Each phrase is a short instruction for the partner. Give me time means stop talking and wait. Give me two choices means write two options. Write it down means the person understands written words more easily than spoken ones today. It’s important means don’t give up on this one; come back to it later if you need to. Showing a phrase is easier than saying it, and it keeps the conversation going instead of stopping it.

The partner page

Page 2 is for the person without aphasia. Write key words on the lines, put choices in the boxes, and use the rows to check details that often go wrong: which day, which part of the day, good or bad, and numbers. A laminated copy and a dry-erase marker mean the page can be used again and again.

What it can look like

Maria wants to tell her husband something about the weekend. She points to family, then plans. He writes “family” and “weekend” on the partner page. “Saturday or Sunday?” He writes both in the Which one? boxes. She points to Sunday. “Is someone coming?” Yes. She points to I can’t find the word, then tries the name: “An… An…” He writes “Anna?”. You’ve got it.

What’s on the board

Help me talk

Let’s talk about

Page 1 also has yes, no and maybe, and a how-much scale: not at all, a little, some, a lot, very much.

Making it work

More tips for family and friends: how to talk with someone who has aphasia, and AAC for adults, from paper boards to speech apps.

More free boards

See all free printable boards

Need a different board? Make your own with the free AAC board maker.

These boards and guides are general information, not therapy or medical advice, and they don’t replace a speech therapist. A speech therapist who knows the person can help choose the right words, pictures and layout. The boards are free to print and share; please don’t sell them (terms of use). Questions about the boards? Email support@lmnoplabs.fun.